title: [Periprocedual management of vitamin K antagonist's with low molecular weight heparins during invasive procedures--Consensus of experts].
abstract: Interruption of an ongoing therapy with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) is necessary in almost all patients undergoing major surgery. The purpose of the following expert recommendations is to provide easy to use guidance for the periprocedural management of patients on VKAs based on current evidence from the literature. Management of anticoagulation during the time of interruption of VKAs is based on balancing the thromboembolic (TE) risk of underlying conditions against the bleeding risk of the surgical procedure. VKAs should be stopped 3–7days prior to surgery. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is used to cover (“bridge”) the progressive pre-operative loss of anticoagulation and the slow post-operative onset of anticoagulant activity of VKAs. Patients with high risk of TE should receive a therapeutic dose of LMWH, patients with a moderate risk of TE should receive half of this dose. Patients with a low risk of TE do not need bridging therapy with LMWH. In case of an uneventful postoperative course, patients with a therapeutic pre-operative dose should be treated post-operatively with the same dose, starting on day 4 in case of major surgery and on day 2 in case of minor procedures. Patients with a half-therapeutic preoperative dose should be treated post-operatively with the same dose, starting on day 3 in case of major surgery and on day 1 in case of minor procedures. Therapy with VKAs should be re-instituted on the second post-operative day based on the preoperative dosage. Procedure-related post-operative thromboprophylaxis should be given irrespective of these recommendations on days without “bridging” anticoagulation.
authors.affiliation: AKH Wien, Univ.-Klinik für Innere Medizin I, Währinger Gürtel 18–20, 1090 Wien, Österreich. herbert.watzke@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watzke
authors.forename: Helfried
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Metzler
authors.forename: Ansgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weltermann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marschang
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brodmann
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pabinger-Fasching
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mahla
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozek-Langenecker
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guschmann
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards; D005858:Germany; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight